Bicycle-bearing adjustment



No. 62|,5a2. Patented Mar. "21, |899 A. M. Pmcl-z.

BICYGLE BEARING ADJUSTMENT.

(Application led Jan. 31, 1898.) (No Model.) *Y

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT M. PRICE, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs.v

BICYCLE-BEARING ADJUSTM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,582, dated March 2'1, 1899.

Application filed January 31, 1898. Serial No. 668,685. (No model.) i

.T0 all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ALBERT M. PRICE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bicycle-Bearing Adjustments,

of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specilication.

My invention relates to improved bicycle adjustments, my object being to provide improved means for adjusting the ball-bearings of the wheel-hubs and of the crankashaft.

In accordance with my invention I provide a shell or barrel having screw-threads on the inner surface, with which engage the threads on the periphery of a cup, the balls of the bearing being interposed between the face of the cup and a shoulder or cone carried upon the journal, and in order to lock the cup in any adjusted position a locking-ring is provided which is independent of the bearing and out of Contact with the balls thereof-and which engages one of said partsthat is, the shell or cup--by a thread reverse to the thread between the shell and the cup and having a toothed or other form of positive interlocking face to engage the other of said parts. By this construction and arrangement the cup may be moved along the shell and locked in any adjusted position.

I have illustrated my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional View of the bicyclehub embodying my invention. Fig. 2' is the locking-ring thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of a modified form of the invention as applied to the crank-shaft. Fig. 4. is a view of the locking-ring thereof. Fig. 5 is a. view of the adjustable cup for the ball-bearing. Fig. 6 is a View of the cup screwing into the end of the barrel.

Like letters refer to like parts 4in the several figures.

The axle ct of the wheel is provided with vshoulders a a', between which and the cups b b the balls of the bearings are held, one of said cups b' on the right-hand side of the wheel or hub being preferably non-adjustable and screwing into the end of the shell c and having a shoulder b2, adapted to engage the end of the shell. The other cup b on the left of the u wheel is adjustable and is provided upon the periphery with a series of threads b3, adapted to engage corresponding threads provided on the interior of the shell c. The periphery of the cup b also carries a second series of threads b4, upon which the locking-ring b5 is adapted to screw, the inner face of the locking-ring being knurled or notched and adapted to engage the correspondingly knurled or notched end of the 'shell c to prevent the locking-ring from turning when in position. The threads b3 should preferably be such that the cup b in its tendency to turn, due to the forces to which it is subjected, is caused to tend to move the locking-ring inward. In a hub the cup tends to turn relatively to the hub, due

locking-ring b5, should bereversed-that is,

opposite to the threads Zas-and the threads b3 being in the present instance left-hand threads the threads b4 should be right-hand threads. In adjusting the bearings the cup b is turned until the desired adjustment is' secured, andthe locking-ring is then turned until the teeth on the locking-ring touch the y teeth on the shell, and then the cup is turned in a direction to move the teeth on the locking ring rrnly into engagement with the teeth on the shell, the engagement of the teeth preventing the turning of the lockingring relative to the shell during this nal movement of the cup.

In order to secure a delicate adjustment and in order that the screwing of the locking-ring into position may not disturb the adjustment, I preferably form the threads b4 of greater pitch than the threads b3, so that after the cup b has been turned to secure the proper adjustment the ring b5 may be held stationary and the cup Z7 turned slightly to take up the backlash between the threads and at the same IOO time move the ring b5 firmly into engagement With the end of the shell c. By thus forming the threads b3 of less pitch than the threads b4 I am able to readily secure a very delicate adjustment for the ball-bearings.

In Fig. 3 I have illustrated a modification of the adjustment and have illustrated the same as applied to the crank-shaft, although either of the forms of adjustment may be applied to both the hubs and the crank-shaft, making the proper changes to adapt the adj ustment to the particularuse.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3 the cup 118 is provided upon the periphery with threads b3, which engage corresponding threads on the shell c' of the crank-hanger. The locking-ring h6 instead of having threads on the inner periphery is provided with threads 117 upon the outer periphery, which engage corresponding threads on the shell c'. The inner face of the locking-ring be and the outer face of the cup hs are correspondingly knurled or notched in order that the same maybe held in engagement. The threads b3 are such that the forces to which the cup o8 is subjected tend to move the same outward, and by the construction shown in Fig. 3 are formed as lefthand threads. The threads 297 on the locking-ring h6 are formed as right-hand threads. The tendency of the cup bs to Work outward, due to the forces to which the same is subjected, thus causes the cup and lockingring to engage more closely along their en gaging faces.' In adjusting the bearings the cup bs is moved into the desired position, and then the locking-ring is turned until the notched face thereof meets the notched face of the cup, and then the locking-ring and the cup are turned together to take up the backlash of the threads, and this turning brings the with said balls and engaging one of said parts by a thread reverse to the thread between the.

shell and the cup and having a toothed or other form of positive interlocking face to engage the other part, whereby the cup may be moved along the shell and locked in any adjusted position, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a shell or barrel,

of an axle or shaft therein provided with a shoulder, an adjustable cup` between which and the shoulder the balls of the bearing are placed and provided upon the periphery at one end with threads for engaging threads on the shell, and With reverse threads on the other end, and a locking-ring screwing upon said latter threads, said shell and locking-rin g being provided upon their engaging faces with teeth or other posit-ive interlocking means to interlock the same and normally prevent the rotation of the cup and locking-ring relative to said shell, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT M. PRICE. lfitnesses:

W. CLYDE JONES, ,M R. Rooi-WORD. 

